Page 96 of A Real Good Bad Thing

“Afew?” I echoed, my pitch climbing.

His shoulders sank with his heavy sigh. “Willow has helped me see that. I’m trying to become a better man.”

“Are you going to apologize to Mom now? How about paying her back what she gave you to start your business?”

“Let’s not spend our limited time together talking credits and debits. I’d rather invite you to a small party we’re hosting at Willow’s gallery on Wednesday night. It’s a fundraiser for a charity we support to help children. I hope you’ll come if you’re still in town.”

“I’ll try,” I said, burning inside, but taking the opportunity in case it was helpful.

“Now, what did you want to talk to me about?” he asked.

But I was rethinking the “ask point blank” strategy. His “new leaf” strategy had thrown me. My brain whirled, trying to land on how to play the angles with him—this man who’d once taken such good care of me. It was disarming to try to figure him out.

“Eli…” I began, then I glanced left then right, leaned closer, and lowered my voice. “I’ve heard rumors online about why you left your company.”

I hadn’t, but they were undoubtedly out there. One of them might even be true.

“They say all kinds of things about me on the Internet,” Eli said, waving a hand in the air as if dismissing any concern.

My voice dipped even lower as I tried harder to get him to listen. “They say you maybe, you know, skimmed a little off the top.”

“Ridiculous.” He sounded incredulous and outraged. “I loved that company. It’s called the Eli Fund. I’d never do anything to undermine it.” He leaned forward, mirroring me, and lowered his voice as well. “If anyone was funneling off funds, it was Andrew.”

Now it was my turn to furrow my brow. “Andrew?” The floor dropped out from under me like a roller-coaster car. Could that be true?

“He stole money from the shareholders,” Eli whispered. “I didn’t want to be associated with that, so I left.”

My mind spun with new twists and turns. Andrew had always seemed like a good guy, but what if he had stolen the funds and the diamonds were just Eli’s diamonds? Andrew could have given Jake doctored evidence. But then why hire him in the first place? Except to have a fall guy in Eli.

“Why would he do that?” I asked, speaking my biggest question aloud.

Eli shot me a look that saidyou can’t be serious. “Ruby. You really can’t guess?”

“Guess what?”

“Andrew has been carrying a torch for Shelly for years. I guess once she was single again, he thought he could buy her love.”

I stared at him, gobsmacked. “You’re saying he skimmed money off the company to impress my mom?”

He gave anit could be trueshrug. “I’m saying thatifthere was money missing from the Eli Fund, fingers should be pointed at him, not at yours truly,” he said, then shook his head almost sadly.

“But he’s married and has children,” I said, then cringed when I realized how naïve that was. Especially considering the company.

But Eli just nodded. “All the more reason why I got out. I don’t want to do business with someone I can’t trust.”

That pinged in my brain, even after the waiter set down the salads and Eli dug into his and pronounced it delicious. My stepfather had unknowingly tipped me off on how to deal with this info bomb. Even if he’d given me doubts about Andrew, I’d be a fool to give up my doubts about Eli.

I was so involved in my thoughts, I didn’t remember much of lunch. When the chocolate lava cake arrived, Eli seemed to savor the first bite. Then he wrinkled his nose. “Nuts,” he said in disgust.

“There are nuts in it?”

“Mm-hmm. And I hate nuts,” he said.

“Funny,” I said dryly. “We have that in common.”

* * *

The day had heated up while we were at lunch. I tugged at the cotton of my sundress as we walked to Eli’s car in the sweltering sun. When we got in and he cranked up the air-conditioning, I sighed in appreciation. “Ah, heaven,” I said as I relaxed in the beige leather seat. “The AC in my rental hasn’t worked properly since I picked it up.”

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